Absolutely awesome movie.<br>
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Do not take your wife or girlfriend if she is squeamish about blood and gore. Most of the movie is non-stop violence. Saw three gals leave when the gore really got going. LMAO when the credits were even bloody. That this movie is violent is an understatement.<br>
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Excellent history lesson. Excellent quotes about freedom and freemen.<br>
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This is a movie that should be experienced on the big screen, not on a small TV. Go see it now while it's in theaters. Don't wait until it's on a DVD or cable.<br>
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One reviewer said it's a cross between "Gladiator" and "Lord of the Rings".<br>
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For those who don't know their history, King Leonidas of Sparta took 300 Spartan warriors and held off the combined armies of Xerxes, who outnumbered them by vast numbers. When they were told that arrows raining on them would blot out the sun, the Spartans said they preferred to fight in the shade. When they were told to lay down their arms, the Spartans replied Molon Labe (moo-lawn lah-vey), which means come and get them, though they don't use the Greek words in the movie. This is one of the top battles in all history.<br>
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(ps - Valerie says there's a lot of hot beefcake in this movie for the gals - if they can stand the blood and gore. And the gals might really like Queen Gorgo. I thought the actress who played her did an excellent job.)<br>
<br>Movie spoiler here. Don't click unless you want to know the plot.

I agree that movie was amazing, there were some parts like tron said where you could tell it was CGI but the majority was realistic. all in all i couldnt count how many times i got chills durning this movie, and even though i knew how it was going to end i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. -Rich

Well,,,,,thats one thing about the Greeks,,,they were close as soldiers,,and even closer as friends,,,,matter of fact----it was said about the greek army----"the men were so close,,,you couldn't squeeze a boy between them"!!!!!

But yes,,,,their defense was beyond extraordinary,,,and became legend!!!!

And not even "computer generated mayhem and bloodshed" could have even come close to the "actual" battle!!!!!

Yes, the elephants and Xerxes are super sized, but I think you are meant to be watching this as if you are imagining the story as told by the storyteller. Like when you catch a two pound bass but then when you tell the story it was a ten pounder. The writing and acting were the best part, largely because the script retains most of the real story as told by Herodotus, complete with all the examples of Spartan humor. They just dressed up Herodotus' history with special effects. Ephialtes was hideous. Xerxes reminded me of the pharaoh in Stargate. You can really see today's headlines in the story. The West attacked by the new Xerxes of terrorism seeking to impose Middle Eastern theocratic tyranny. It should remind all of the Western world that we can't just cut and run--the Spartans didn't.

Yes, this movie has digital effects.<br>
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"300 entered active production on October 17, 2005 in Montreal,[18] and was shot over 60 days[17] in chronological order.[16] Warner Bros. provided a budget of $60 million to back the 300 project.[19] The director employed the digital backlot technique for the film, which was shot at the now-defunct Icestorm Studios in Montreal using bluescreens."<br>
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Richrob, quote: "I agree that movie was amazing, there were some parts like tron said where you could tell it was CGI but the majority was realistic."<br>
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Many people are saying what you are - "some parts" you can tell are CGI. Many don't realize that nearly everything for the backgrounds were digital, and many effects were digital.<br>
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Digital effcts were used to alter the mood of the film. Some parts were made more grainy, for a "gritty" effect. Others had the color desaturated or tinted with a sepia tone.<br>
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Colonel Reb hits the nail on the head, quote: "Yes, the elephants and Xerxes are super sized, but I think you are meant to be watching this as if you are imagining the story as told by the storyteller. Like when you catch a two pound bass but then when you tell the story it was a ten pounder. The writing and acting were the best part, largely because the script retains most of the real story as told by Herodotus, complete with all the examples of Spartan humor. They just dressed up Herodotus' history with special effects."<br>
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Couldn't have said it better myself. That's EXACTLY what they did. In fact, the story teller is Dilios, and it's through his eyes that we are seeing the battle. He is narrating the tale to ruse the rest of the Greeks to war.<br>
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My point is, the action is so intense and detailed that it really ought to be seen on the big screen. It won't be the same on DVD or VHS on a 30" TV. (It's possible that the tale tell special effects might be diminished on the small screen through lack of detail, but you'll lose the action as well.)

I saw a piece on Canadian TV last night about this film....most of the battle sequences were computer generated or enhanced and look spectacular...and most of the computer work was done by a small production studio outside of Montreal, Quebec.